The Dickinson press., 1887-05-21
GREELEY'S ODDITIES.
RY NO MEANS AS ECCENTRIC AS
HE SEEMED TO BE.

So Says tho Veteran Journalist, Joe
Howard, Jr.-Four Instances From
Which tho Reader Can Draw What.
over Infcrcnccs Ho Chooses.
Who can forget Horace Grcclcy's affccta-
tions of cccentricityl
lie was by no manner of means the fool he
assumed TO he. That he was ambitious, anx-
ious for for public favor and fond of money,
open to aulultaton and ilattery, who that
knew his life would presume to deny? How
then can his atiectations of dress, for they
We're atfccta,ons, be accounted for, save on
tho theory of an unbalanced mind, Did it
Seem reasonable that Il man after years of
metropolitan life, at the head of great, and
ut tho tina, the greatest Journal i'll America,
assoria'ims with the first men Of his time,
idcmiiiatl with all broad movements in the
interest of his tcllowmcn coull, unless by
accident, make guy of himself, morning,
noon AMI night, unless he did it with intent.
recall four Illustrations Of intcntiona
atfer;";on on the part of Horace Greeley.
Tho il>; was in Sacramento Cal. y largc
audience had assembled 10 hear him speak,
aud II" was detained OH til" road. On arrival
he ,.as driven to the st. George hotel, and
some lrfrcshment and dress before his lecture,
The impatienrc of the audience was asSunyetl
10y the announcement that Mr.. Greeley was
adjusting his toilet, and making himself COM
Portable after Il long and tedious stage ride.
He reached tl" hall ats o'clock.
Was he dressed. How.
Precisely as wl,n hclrtt the stage coach.
He had Not washed his face nor his hands.
hr.lt ,1,u L.,
tire, ;rora coat to shirt. from collar to boots.
Absolutely covered with dust, with cravat
awry, with collar dirty alnl run,plcl, with
Shirt front ,'isarrungcd, with unpublished
boots, he slumblcl into the hall, and up the
long aisle. until, standing on tho platform
dirty, ill-kcmpt una,,ractiyc, le faced an
audience mainly of New England men and
women, each arrayed i'll accordance with
docnrum.
What was that!
Ecremtricitv, otl,lncss not only, but an af
fcctation uf the extremity of each.
Oh another occasion, in Paris, he, as a del
egnt" from the United States to the great
| exposition, was notified to meet his fellow
delegates in n specified salon. Mr.. Greeley
| and Er&stl,s Brool;> another delegate, arrived
i'll advance OF the others. Mr.. Brooks, who
YVES the very pcrsonlicntion of n"ntness un,
trimness, noticed that Mr.. Greedy, trousers
We're ltclc,l up over TIL" les of his boot, and
Mt some personal Inconvenience having callcl
his attention to it, kneelrl and adjusted tho
garment Later on in the reception room
where the delegates fro,n all countries had
met for q formal presentation, imagine the
disgust and annoyance CT Mr. Brooks wl,cl
H. saw that Mr.. Greeley had redi>arrange
his trousers, SO that the bottoms of them still
rested upon the legs of his boots.
What was that}
Years after that had occasion to call on
Mr. Greeley in his home, relative to matters
in Washington. He was ill and in bed The
b"'lsteatl was placed across the corner Of the
room. In the center was Il revolving book
case, against which rested long mirror.
Articles of clothing were strewn about tn,
floor and intcnscst confusion dominated the
plncr. Mr.. Greeley was not seriously ill, hut
hy tn" advice of his physician kept his he'd
several days SO far as confusion, mai.
arrangement and upsi,lr,lnwnativcnrss were
concerned, that bedroom cnple,l the climax
Was that Intentional.